


Ikanaide

by Vanta22exual



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Both Scuba and Aloha are very bad at communicating, Its onesided but not quite?, Longing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-09 14:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19477501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanta22exual/pseuds/Vanta22exual
Summary: Aloha leaves to join the S4 team, and with him, he takes Scuba's entire world.





	Ikanaide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GogglesXKun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GogglesXKun/gifts).



> Inspiration for this work go to GogglesxKun and this song:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0JI-zeICsU  
> Between the two of us, it seems that Scuba isn't allowed to be happy

_"I couldn't help but to tell you I'd be alright_   
_When, to be true, it was tearing me apart inside_   
_But it didn't matter since you're walking away so swiftly in front of me_   
_And your figure is the only thing I see"_

"A team made out of the strongest S rankers?" Scuba tilted his head, watching his team leader practically bounce in his seat as he had just told him the good news. Well, good for him, although Scuba had his doubts about that. "I mean, that's nice 'n all, but is that really necessary? We already got a pretty good team going on here."

He really didn't want to ruin Aloha's good mood, but something about hearing his precious team leader being stolen away from him struck a sour note with the masked inkling. Although, if Aloha had listened to him, he hadn't seemed bothered by what he said. "Aw come on Scuba! It's gonna be great! Well, I mean I guess I'll have to deal with Army nagging me more often now, but I think I can deal with it, he's cute enough~"

Once again, hearing Aloha gush about one of the other S4 members, it had something bubbling up in Scuba that he tried so desperately to force down each time it came up. Instead, he put on the same beaming smile, at least pretending to be happy for the other, it's the least he could do. "That's....great. You better win a buncha matches for me, Straw n Octo then."

_"Plane has arrived, now is the time_  
 _You're going away again_  
 _As I try to run, it seems like the ground is slipping from underneath m_ e"

Watching him go was always the hardest part. Technically, Aloha was never more than a phone call away, hell, Scuba knew the exact location of the S4 base in case of emergencies, but it didn't feel right. Not when he saw him smiling and laughing more than he ever had while hanging out with him. Not when he noticed how Aloha looked at the other S4 members.

Each passing tournament, Aloha relied on his team less and less, instead deciding to join the other three. Scuba couldn't blame him, together, they were nigh unbeatable. What could they offer against that? A silly strategy that relied on dances and teamwork that was still lacking, even more so as the team slowly but surely started to fall apart.

Straw and Octoglasses hardly even bothered to show up at the base any more. Most days, Scuba was by himself, passing his time by practicing on his guitar. Aloha always loved music, at one point, Scuba had picked up the instrument so he could play to the other. Countless melodies at his fingertips that danced across the strings, bringing the songs to life as Aloha would sing along with his beautiful voice. But now, all that remained was a hollow melody that rung out through the empty base.

_"I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry_   
_But I can't seem to hold it in_   
_Oh, please don't leave me"_

Watching his matches became painful. As much as it was one of the few opportunities Scuba still had to see him, it hurt to see him dance around his new teammates, laughing and smiling for someone that wasn't him. Each time, Scuba found tears starting to mess up his mask, each time, he wanted to scream until his voice was gone telling the other to come back, but each time, he found himself not saying a word.

Aloha's happiness was more important than his own, that's how it had always been. From the time they were small until the day Aloha will finally forget about him, Scuba wouldn't dare to interfere with his newfound joy simply because it was hurting him not to have him around. If Aloha was happier with them, then Scuba would let him go without complaint. If Aloha were to return after having had his fun, then Scuba would be waiting for him. It was always Aloha that came first, never him.

_"Your silhouette is fading away too quickly for me to bear_   
_Just as the wind, you blow by again_   
_And suddenly you're not there"_

He still recalled the day Aloha dropped by the base. Exactly why, Scuba can't even remember. He had been strumming out another soft tune, too focused on the hollow feeling in his chest that was slowly eating away at him until a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind. The sudden touch startled him, it almost made him drop his instrument, but without even turning his head, he realized who it was.

That day, it had almost felt like things had gone back to normal. Aloha was there, the world felt lighter, and as Scuba strummed out another tune, the pink inkling joined in with his voice, filling the once empty space with a song that almost made Scuba feel like things had never changed at all.

But just as quickly as the moment had happened, it was over again. Aloha was interrupted in his song by a message on his phone, and with nothing more than a quick goodbye, he was already gone again, leaving Scuba to the leering silence and his own thoughts once again.

_"When the fun is over it'll always seem to end the same_   
_Though I know it's coming, I can never seem to stop the pain_   
_In this very moment, you look even more amazing and I can't avoid your gaze_   
_Once again, I can see nothing but your face"_

A party. Oh how long hadn't he had one of those. His lust for parties had all but ceased after Pink Team stopped participating in matches together. Scuba had never been one for going out alone, and with Aloha practically glued to his S4 teammates and Straw and Octo sticking more to each other than anyone else, it left him to spend his nights staying in at his apartment or the base, working on his music more than anything else.

But oh, how a simple message could reignite his passions. It was nothing more than Aloha asking if he wanted to go out for the night, but oh, Scuba wanted it to mean so much more than it did. Perhaps finally Aloha would return to them, maybe they could go back to how things were. Or perhaps, at least he could pretend for just one night that things had never changed in the first place.

Needless to say, it didn't take any convincing to get Scuba to agree.

The night out had been wonderful, picking a club downtown, they danced, drank, laughed and celebrated deep into the night. It was the first time in months Scuba actually felt like himself. The beat of the music, the bodies surrounding them, it all seemed to pale in comparison each time he glanced at Aloha. The way he moved, his radiant smile, the little giggles he would give him whenever Scuba danced just a little too close, the masked inkling was soaking it all up.

However, no party ever lasts forever. And so, just as the night really started to heat up, Aloha suddenly called a stop to things. To think that the party king himself would argue that he needed to be rested, Scuba could practically hear the echo of the Orange Team leader in his voice. Scuba tried to convince him to stay just a little longer, he was afraid of this ending, of going back to the emptiness that had become his life, but he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the other when he left originally, he couldn't stop him now. And so, Aloha gave him one last dance before vanishing into the night.

_"Time's ticking by, no matter how I try_   
_I'm struggling to keep up_   
_Night's taken hold as I'm walking home_   
_I wonder if I'll be okay alone"_

Despite all the bodies around him, all the noise that thumped through his body, Scuba had never felt this alone, this isolated before. Without thinking, he found his feet carrying him out into the night, head stuck in a daze as he wandered his way home. The world fell silent around him, his vision clouded as he realized that things would never go back to normal. He could try, he could struggle in vain in an attempt to recover what he once had, but with how far he had let Aloha slip through his hands without doing anything, he had lost him.

His feet dragged on the ground as he could hardly focus on the way ahead, tears slowly clouding his vision. The realization had come at him so suddenly, it hurt. Perhaps he had always known, perhaps he had simply denied it in a vain attempt to pretend everything was fine, but it hurt. To know that he had done this to himself, he had let the one he loved for so long simply run away from him, and with him, Aloha had taken most of Scuba it seemed.

_"Lights on the street glow at my feet_   
_My shadow is all I've got_   
_To keep me company"_

By the time he stopped, Scuba couldn't see through his tears. His heart felt like it was ripping itself apart, sending waves of pain through his body that left him paralyzed in the dim light of a street lamp. He wanted to scream, to cry, to give this pain any kind of release so he wouldn't feel like it would tear him apart from the inside at any moment, but he couldn't. Just like he couldn't speak up when Aloha had proposed to join the S4 team, just like how he couldn't say anything when the other drifted further and further away from him. Just like he hadn't said anything today, letting Aloha slip from his grasp once more.

His shadow was dancing along the wall in the soft light, quietly mocking him. He was pathetic, to let this destroy him like this. To let the one Inkling that meant the world to him slip away without ever once making an attempt to keep him at his side, simply because he hadn't dared to be selfish with the other even once. The tears were slowly messing up his mask, making shapes blur together and the light dance around his vision.

By the time he finally realized his shadow was no longer alone in its dance, it was too late.

_"Your silhouette is fading away too quickly for me to bear_   
_Just as the dark, it tears me apart_   
_My surroundings blur once again"_

Scuba didn't feel anything as the blade was suddenly thrust into his side. With the pain that had already been wracking his body, it felt like barely anything more than a needle pricking him. He numbly watched as his vibrant pink slowly but surely started to seep through his shirt, discoloring it before running down his legs and slowly pooling at his feet.

In his detached state, he didn't even realize that the same blade suddenly dug into his side yet again, and again, and again. All Scuba could do was sink against the wall for support as his aggressor took out their anger on him, the ground slowly but surely turning completely pink with the puddles and splatters of ink.

Before the pain could begin to catch up to him, Scuba gave one vain attempt at getting rid of his attacker, taking a step away when he noticed the blade swinging down at him once more. All it amounted to though was him collapsing onto the floor into the puddles below, his body unable to support itself with all the injuries.

The last things Scuba noticed before his consciousness finally left him were a ink-stained knife dropped right in front of him as hurried footsteps quickly scurried away from the gruesome scene. And just before his body finally gave out, he heard a familiar, angelic voice calling out to him.

_"I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry_   
_But I can't seem to hold it in_   
_Oh, please don't leave me"_

"SCUBA!!"

This was supposed to be the day. His day off, just some time to relax, get his things together, and go out with his best friend. Aloha had been longing for this for so long now. It wasn't that he didn't _like_ his team members in the S4, but nothing beat the team he had been working with ever since he came to Inkopolis. Unfortunately, considering the last few months had been tournament after tournament after tournament, he hadn't had the time to so much as visit them, much less spend time with them.

Even that one time he forgot himself just to sit with Scuba and sing along to his guitar like he had done so often before had been too much, he hadn't heard the end of it from Army when he came too late to practice even though he just dropped by his team base to pick up a spare shirt.

This had been supposed to be a day where he could finally get back to his old joys, and perhaps finally talk things out with his second in-command. How long had he been meaning to tell Scuba? How many years has it been that he wanted to tell the other, but simply didn't in fear of losing him?

And now, it may just be too late. After losing heart and running away in the club once again, he had had another change of heart, and had gone to track Scuba down. Realizing that the other had left the club as well, he had decided to follow him home to talk to him. What he hadn't expected to find was the other brutally getting attacked on the sidewalk.

By the time he got close, the attacker had fled, and Scuba had collapsed into a large puddle of ink. Too much, Aloha realized. This was too much ink, if he didn't do anything, he would lose the other forever. Frantically, he pulled his shirt over his head, bunching it up and pressing it against where most of the wounds were concentrated in an attempt to stop the ink from leaking out while digging around with his other hand for his phone to call an ambulance.

"Scuba? Scuba c'mon, answer me."

Aloha desperately pleaded with the other, although all he received in response was deafening silence. With the ambulance on the way, all he could do was try to stop the other from losing even more ink. Already, Scuba looked so deathly pale, his face almost tranquil behind his mask. The visor had gotten a crack in it, Aloha faintly noticed, although it didn't matter much, what mattered most was saving the life of the one he loved.

"Scuba...please, don't leave me.."

_"I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry_   
_But I can't seem to hold it in_   
_Oh, please don't leave me"_

Aloha hated hospitals. He always had, they were too sterile, too quiet. He was wild, messy and loud by nature, so sitting in the silent waiting room and watching the hours tick by while staring at the white walls was maddening. The only thing that kept him bound to his seat was a paralyzing fear. By the time the paramedics arrived, Scuba had looked just about dead. He hadn't been moving, his breathing had been incredibly shallow, and his skin had been almost paper white, it was a sight Aloha had hoped he never would have to see.

What if he lost the other today? What if he would never see Scuba again? It hurt too much to think about, and each time the thought started to creep back up on him, he furiously wiped his eyes in an attempt to keep himself in check. He couldn't cry, not now, not here. Scuba would be alright, he kept telling himself, the other was even more stubborn than him some days, if there was a chance, he would make it.

Each time a nurse passed by Aloha perked up, although most of the time, all he was met with were curious, sometimes saddened stares. Of course, being a star of turf, he would capture at least some attention, although attention was currently the last thing he wanted. It was so unlike him, but he even found himself snapping at a younger inkling that had excitedly run up to him to ask for a picture. He had apologized quickly enough, although the uncertainty of what was going to happen to his best friend was tearing him apart inside.

"Mr. Aloha...? Uhm...Mr. Aloha?"

He suddenly startled awake, eyes snapping open to stare back at a young nurse that had been trying to get his attention. Strange, he didn't even remember falling asleep. Looking at the clock, he could tell that it was a good hour later, although his attention almost instantly focused on the inkling in front of him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I came to tell you that your friend is in stable condition now. You're allowed to visit him for a short time, if you wish."

Aloha didn't even hesitate as he jumped up with a nod. "Yes. Please. I need to see him."

The nurse simply nodded, leading him down several hallways before finally stopping at one of the rooms. "His condition his stable, but considering just how much ink he lost, he'll liably be asleep for a while. Please try not to disturb him."

"Of course, thank you." Aloha gave another nod before heading into the room, stopping almost instantly once he finally caught sight of Scuba. The other was laying on the hospital bed, almost swallowed by the white sheets. His skin was still a little too pale to be healthy, but at least it wasn't the same ghostly white as before. An oxygen mask was covering his face and an IV drip was leading away from his arm.

Seeing Scuba like that, it hurt. Perhaps if he had just been a little faster with catching up, perhaps if he had just admitted at the club, perhaps if he had done this, perhaps if he had done that. He could speculate on a lot of things, but they wouldn't change what happened, would they?

Hesitating, he slowly stepped closer, eyeing the other with a frown. Scuba looked tranquil like this, his trademark headgear gone, tentacles spread out on the pillow. If not for the medical equipment, one could almost assume he was simply taking a nap.

"Scuba..." Aloha hesitated before gently taking one of the other's hands into his own, simply holding it for a while. "I...haven't been the best friend recently, have I? Hell, I haven't even been much of a team leader, leaving you guys to participate with the other S4 members..." he trailed off, thumb gently stroking over the knuckles of the other's hand. "I'm sorry. I should have at least tried to drop by more. We should have met up more often. I should have- I just should have been a better...well, everything."

Trailing off again, he sighed. "I should have been honest. With you, with myself, with everyone. If I'd just- ugh. If I'd just told you what I wanted to at the club...I'm sure this wouldn't have happened..." Once again, Aloha could feel the sting of tears in his eyes, and this time, he was powerless to stop them. "I'm sorry. God I'm stupid, aren't I? I could never tell you this before but..."

He hesitated, tears still running down his cheeks before he finally continued. "...I love you, Scuba. More than anyone, okay? You've been with me though- well, everything. I love you, how you're always there for me, your smile, your laugh, the way you shine when you play your guitar and listen to me sing for you...I want to do that again. You'll let me sing for you again, right? Please."

By that point, Aloha could barely see through his tears. The fear of losing the other was still there, even if he had been told that Scuba would be fine. What if something happened? What if Aloha left just to come back to Scuba being dead and gone? No, he wouldn't be able to take that. "Please don't leave me..."

Aloha had to stop himself from jumping when he felt a small squeeze at his hand, looking at the other before feeling it again. Through tears, he gave a soft smile, hesitating before leaning down and giving the other a small peck to his cheek. "I love you Scuba. Get better, and once you're out, I'll sing for you again, alright?"

The gentle squeeze of his hand was all Aloha needed for an answer.


End file.
